Israel to Build Fiber Optic Connection to Connect Europe with Asia and Gulf Region

Israel is planning to build a fiber optic connection that will better connect Europe with Asia and the Gulf region. The route of the connection will run along an existing Israeli oil pipeline between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.

Fiber Optic Connection to Make Israel a Communication Bridge

According to Reuters, the new fiber optic connection should make Israel a land-based “communication bridge” between Asia and countries in the Persian Gulf region. The planned fiber optic connection will have a length of 254 kilometers and will run from the Israeli port of Ashkelon on the Mediterranean Sea to Eilat on the Red Sea.
The fiber optic connection will be available to every telecom operator registered in the country for a period of 25 years. It will connect to existing submarine communication cables that come ashore at the locations mentioned.

Route of Existing Oil Pipeline

The route of the fiber optic connection will run parallel to the existing oil pipeline of the Israeli state company EPAC. The oil pipeline of this company is an alternative to the oil tanker transport that runs through the Suez Canal.
Environmental groups in Israel are not happy with this oil pipeline and accuse EPAC of not being strict with environmental obligations. Poor maintenance of the pipeline has caused large oil spills in the desert.
The Israeli Ministry of Finance, the initiator of the fiber optic connection to be built, claims that the arrival of fiber optic will ensure that the route of the oil pipeline can be monitored more closely and possible leaks are detected earlier.